Solo travel · Hiroshima · Japan
Solo travel in Hiroshima
How to enjoy Hiroshima at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Hiroshima is easy and rewarding to visit alone: the city is calm, compact and well-signed in English, counter restaurants suit solo diners, and hostels are good. Many solo travellers base themselves in Nagarekawa and Yagenbori.
Key facts
- Base
- Nagarekawa and Yagenbori
- Getting around
- Tram
- Emergency number
- 110 (police), 119 (fire and ambulance)
- Language
- Japanese
Solo travel tips
- Sit at the okonomiyaki griddle counter, where solo diners are the norm.
- Hostels around the Peace Park and Hondori are central and sociable.
- Join a free volunteer-guided walk of the Peace Park for context and company.
- Allow quiet time after the Peace Museum; the riverbanks and Shukkei-en are good places to reflect.
- Stay a night on Miyajima to see the island in calm conditions.
Where to stay
$$ · Best for nightlife, budget and solo travellers
Nagarekawa and Yagenbori
Nagarekawa and the Yagenbori streets nearby hold most of Hiroshima's bars, izakaya, oyster restaurants and late-night ramen. Hotels here are affordable and central, a ten-minute walk to Hondori, but streets are noisy at night and include hostess bars.
- Good
- Lively at night; Lots of places to eat late; Good-value hotels
- Watch out
- Noisy until late; Some touts and hostess bars
- Nearby
- Hondori arcade, Hatchobori, Shukkei-en
Great on your own
Park · Peace Park and Hondori
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
Stand behind the cenotaph to see the flame and the Atomic Bomb Dome framed in one line, then walk the riverbank.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- History
- Free
- Outdoors
Historic site · Peace Park and Hondori
Atomic Bomb Dome
See it twice: in daylight from the riverbank and after dark, when it is lit and the area is quiet.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- History
- Free
- After dark
Museum · Peace Park and Hondori
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
Go at opening or in the late afternoon; school groups pack the galleries from mid-morning, especially in spring and autumn.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Iconic
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Religious site · Miyajima
Itsukushima Shrine
Check the tide table: come at high tide for the floating view and at low tide to walk to the torii, ideally on the same day.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
- Couples
Landmark · Peace Park and Hondori
Children's Peace Monument
Fold a paper crane beforehand and leave it at the booths, as many visitors do.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Free
- Kids
Nature · Miyajima
Mount Misen
Take the ropeway up and walk down the Daisho-in trail, which finishes at the temple of the same name.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Outdoors
- Active
- Nature
Meeting people
- Okonomiyaki at the griddle counter — Watch a cook build a layered okonomiyaki at one of Okonomimura's stalls and eat it straight off the hot plate with a small metal spatula.
- Winter oyster lunch — From about November to March, try grilled, fried and raw oysters at a downtown specialist or the stalls on Miyajima.
- Nagarekawa — Dense blocks of izakaya, small bars and karaoke east of Hondori.
- Yagenbori — Streets of more upmarket bars, sake bars and late restaurants next to Nagarekawa.
Sensible precautions
Hiroshima has low crime. In summer, heat and humidity are the main health risk, so carry water. Heavy rain during the rainy season and typhoons can trigger landslide warnings in hillside areas; follow official alerts.
- Emergency number
- 110 (police), 119 (fire and ambulance)
- Staying connected
- Free Wi-Fi is available at many tram stops, the Peace Park and stations; SIM cards and eSIMs can be bought at major airports.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Hiroshima good for solo travellers?
Hiroshima is easy and rewarding to visit alone: the city is calm, compact and well-signed in English, counter restaurants suit solo diners, and hostels are good.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Hiroshima?
Nagarekawa and Yagenbori: The city's bar district east of Hondori, with izakaya, karaoke and late food.